Noah & The Whale

Indie/Alternative Rock band Noah and the Whale put on a live show as quirky and eclectic as their name, which results from the combined names of director Noah Baumbach and his film ‘The Squid and the Whale.’

Noah and the Whale’s sound contains clear influences of Tom Petty, Lou Reed, and the like but still maintains a uniqueness and infectious quality that leaves you mindlessly whistling their catchy melodies for weeks.

The set opens with the band’s humble entrance, often accompanied by frontman Charlie Fink’s wide-brimmed scout’s hat. They begin their first song, and within moments, the band comes alive with the crowd’s enthusiastic response. A few more songs like this one follow until the band delves into the self-proclaimed “romantic section” of their set, which features more melancholy songs like “I Have Nothing.”

After this portion of the show, the band plays the crowd-pleasers (“5 Years Time,” “L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N”), and the mood is lifted to exponential heights as the crowd goes wild for Charlie Fink’s dancing, which is about as awkward and charming as you would expect from a lanky British gentleman in his late twenties.

Noah and the Whale’s shows are intimate and unassuming, and their interaction with the audience on a personal level increases every time I see them. Their heart-wrenchingly beautiful presentation of “The First Days of Spring” moves me to tears. The song is laced with Tom Hobden’s violin and drummer Michael Petulla’s driving beats, which intensify the wide array of emotions felt by both the band and audience.

Take every opportunity you have to see this band live.